A Circle Of Unfortunate Events
by clarex-ama
Summary: An unfortunate event leads Harry and Draco to discover a whole new level of perversity as it intrudes on their magic, making daydreaming, groping and dancing a strictly necessary part of their schoolday...Wtf?
1. The silver coin

**Title: **A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

**Author: **clarex_ama

**Beta(s):** thegreatdane_s, nefariousandrea, bbyluv (I love you guys!)

**Pairing: **Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Warnings:** Slash, UST  
**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers etc. I own nothing. This fic is only written for fun, no profit is made.  
**Summary: **An unfortunate event leads Harry and Draco to discover a whole new level of perversity as it intrudes on their magic, making daydreaming, groping and dancing a strictly necessary part of their schoolday...Wtf?

A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

By clarex-ama

**Chapter 1**

_The silver coin_

The face of the moon was white and full; peering through the blanket of dark, grey clouds. The wind danced around the tall trees, throwing newly yellowed leaves up in the air.

Two persons clad in black cloaks were walking through the forest, feet stepping carefully over large roots and fallen branches. The tips of their wands were shining brightly, chasing some of the shadows away.

They were walking in silence, not because there was nothing to say, actually there was plenty, but because they were both lost in thought.

It seemed like it was only yesterday he'd been walking through this same forest, feeling prepared to meet Voldemort and his own death… Harry shuddered, not a pleasant memory.

But now, that was only a black spot in his past. Everything was back to normal. Well, technically Harry's life had never been normal, so the more correct phrase would probably be: Back to the abnormal life he was used to…just without the crazy madman trying to murder him every second… and that was quite nice.

Since none of the students had learned anything last year because of the war, especially the older ones, all seventh year students at Hogwarts had been offered an eighth year, so they could get their NEWTs.

Hermione had been delighted of course, and Harry himself had been looking forward to a year in school where he didn't have to constantly fear for his own life and the lives of everyone around him.

Hogwarts had been rebuilt, and the students were once again walking down the corridors like nothing had ever happened. The only thing that revealed the truth was the absence of those killed in the war…

Harry tripped over a stone lying in the middle of the path, and in an attempt to regain his balance he grabbed the arm of his companion. The other boy let out a startled squeal and nearly stumbled himself.

"Merlin, Potter! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Watch where you put your clumsy feet damn it!" hissed the other boy angrily, almost as if he was afraid someone might assault him if he spoke too loud.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Harry bit back and started walking again, green eyes on the ground, making sure there weren't any more stones to trip over.

The Slytherin snorted disbelievingly, but followed the other.

Harry had been surprised when he'd seen Malfoy on the train. Somehow, he just hadn't expected the former Death Eater to show up… but there he was; tall, blond, pointy, and as annoying as ever. Nothing had changed for the better between them - they were still fighting, arguing and hating each other like there was no tomorrow… actually, Harry mused, it was a bit over the top. They hadn't fought like this since their fifth year or something. Maybe it was because Harry subconsciously wanted an enemy in his life, and now with Voldemort gone, the only person left to hate was Draco… if that made sense.

Harry turned his head and studied the young man next to him. He looked the same, Harry thought; white blond locks falling around the pale face, grey eyes looking down the nose with resentment, lips curling in a sneer…

And at the same time he looked different. He was skinnier than Harry remembered him, and Harry could still see the war in his silver eyes… but everyone nowadays had changed a bit somehow, Harry guessed that was only to expect.

"How much longer do you think we'll have to walk? I'm tired," Draco complained accusingly. "This is stupid! I'd much rather sit indoors and polish the trophies or something."

"Stop whining like a child, Malfoy. I think we'll be there in a minute."

Harry turned a corner and reached the clearing he'd been looking for. The murky trees stood around the small lake in a circle holding hands, making it almost impossible to get out of the clearing if you didn't walk along the small path Harry and Draco had been following.

The surface of the lake was smooth as a millpond, shining like a mirror, reflecting the white moon and the few blinking stars in the sky. Leaves were floating around like small boats in the sea, forming ripples in the calm water, and along the edge of the trees grew a lot of different plants and flowers. Some of the flowers were blooming in the moonlight, even though it was late in September.

Harry walked into the clearing, followed by Malfoy.

"Is this the place?" asked the blond boy. Harry nodded and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I think so. Well," Harry took out a piece of paper from his pocket, "let's find it and head back to the school.

Malfoy nodded in agreement. They were both very eager to get back to their beds. Neither of them had been very pleased to discover that their detention contained a midnight stroll in the Forbidden Forest. They were supposed to collect a special flower for Madam Sprout, so she could use the seeds to start a little garden herself… not something you'd voluntarily ruin your Saturday night for, but McGonagall hadn't listened to any of their objections or their promises to never fight again, so here they were…

"Okay," Harry said and studied the paper in his hands, "the flower we're looking for has white and dark blue petals, a black stalk and it has a mild odour of… em… it smells like, you know, like faeces."

"What?!" Draco asked incredulously, "You're kidding, right?"

"Em, no I'm not… it says here that you can recognize the flower by its unique smell, and that it's only blooming once a year, and that's today."

"I'm not spending my entire bloody Saturday night with _you_, looking for a flower that literally smells like shit. What in the name of Uric the Oddball is the purpose of having a flower like that in a garden? Madam Sprout must be crazy!"

"She probably has her reasons," Harry mused thoughtfully, and looked at the flowers surrounding them.

Draco snorted and walked over to the plants in the other end of the clearing.

"Well, we might as well just start looking..," Harry said, trying to sound optimistic but failed miserably. He bent down and began looking for the special blue flower with the, em… characteristic smell.

There were flowers in all colours, but the majority were, of course, blue, so that made it even more difficult for them to find the correct one.

And all the different smells from the flowers and plants hit Harry in the face like a blow. How was he ever going to find that stupid flower, when they all looked the same in the dark? And he couldn't even distinguish all the different odours, because there was just too many…

He raised his wand and bathed the petals in the sharp light, trying desperately to find the blossom. But Harry had, unfortunately, never been very good at Herbology, so to him they all looked the same.

He buried his nose in the flowerbed and breathed in all the scents. Some of them had a really nice aroma: sweet, fresh, and pleasant… some of them did not. Harry crinkled his nose as he inhaled the stench of sour milk…

After numerous minutes like this, Harry decided to stand up; he was feeling a little sore in his back.

Their job seemed impossible – if only he knew the name of the stupid flower, so he could summon it with Accio. But he didn't…

"Found anything?" asked Harry despondently and walked over to where Draco was sitting.

If Harry hadn't been so tired, he would probably have found the image of Draco Malfoy, sitting by a lake in moonlight smelling flowers, a bit weird, but, because of the special circumstances, he didn't give it any thought.

"No." The Slytherin opened his eyes, and looked at Harry. He stood up and threw the flower in the water; an exasperated expression covering his features. "This is a pure waste of time! We'll never find that shitty flower, and I don't feel like smelling flowers all bloody night!"

"Me neither, but we'll have to keep looking. If we don't come back with that flower, we'll probably just get another detention."

"Like I care, I just want to get back, this is ridiculous!" he sat down again, proving his point. Harry felt anger boil inside him. Why did Malfoy always have to act like a spoiled brat?

"We'll never find it, unless you help!"

"But it's impossible."

"No, it's not," Harry turned his back at the blond. Right now, it felt very much like their stupid little find-the-flower task _was_ impossible, and it only made him angrier because that meant Malfoy was right.

If Draco wasn't such an idiot, they would probably have found it already… at least that was what Harry liked to tell himself.

Harry started searching again, ignoring the stubborn, young man sitting behind him.

Some time passed by like this. Neither of them said anything.

In the distance, a wolf howled and crows were scraping. The wind whistled softly, caressing the back of Harry's neck, as he bent forward to smell another blue flower.

"Look at that," Draco whispered suddenly with delight. Harry turned around quickly.

"Look at what? Did you find it?"

Draco didn't answer. He was looking down into the lake, nose merely inches from the wet surface.

"Is the flower in the water?" asked Harry stupidly and walked over to where Draco was sitting.

Draco plunged his hand into the water and grabbed something Harry couldn't see.

"What is it?" But Draco didn't seem to listen to Harry at all. He withdrew his hand from the cold depths of the small lake, and gasped with pleasure as he clutched whatever was lying in his wet palm.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, feeling a bit unsure about this situation. What was going on? Draco was looking very happy, almost like he was in a moment of bliss, and it made Harry feel rather awkward somehow.

The boy looked at Harry through lowered lids, he was panting slightly, and his cheeks were flushed. Harry gulped and took a step backwards.

"Are you all right, Malfoy?"

Gracefully, Draco rose to his feet and took a step forward. His white skin was almost glowing in the moonlight, and the shadows from the trees that fell upon his face, made him look softer and more delicate.

Harry was pretty sure something was wrong.

The air was quivering and the wind pulled at the trees. Leaves were swirled along by the breeze, making them dance around the two boys, but Harry hardly noticed. He was too occupied looking into the Slytherin's intense eyes, which were staring right into his own deep, green ones.

Harry felt his heart beat violently against his ribs, and his mind kept telling him something was wrong, but somehow he couldn't move away.

It was like he was _supposed_ to be right here, right now…

Malfoy moved closer and somehow his mere presence caused a gasp to fall from Harry's lips. A warm wave of pleasure washed through him, urging him to step closer to the approaching boy.

Draco raised his soaked hand, revealing what looked like a big silver coin lying in his palm. Harry shivered in anticipation at the sight, and he had no idea why.

Hesitantly, almost like it wasn't his own mind that ordered him to do it, Harry raised his hand and put it on top of Draco's, so that the coin was trapped between their palms.

Immediately, a jolt ran through his body. It felt like an electric pulse was travelling through his veins, starting from his hand and spreading throughout his body. Harry and Draco moaned in unison, and Harry closed his eyes, enjoying the hot prickling sensation he could feel all over his skin…

Draco mumbled something Harry could barely hear, but strangely he found himself answering, his lips forming words he didn't even know. It sounded a bit like humming, sweet unknown words, falling from his lips like liquid.

The pressure was building up inside him, and he pressed his palm firmly into Draco's. Draco, who was moaning and gasping, started digging his nails hard into Harry's skin. His blond hair was wild and tousled, falling down into his half-closed eyes.

Spots were dancing before Harry's eyes, making it impossible to focus. His body was a bubble, ready to burst with pleasure any second now…

Harry felt his knees tremble, and suddenly it felt like he was being hit in the stomach by an invisible force so strong he fell to the ground, breathless.

His body was aching, and he felt utterly exhausted. Time was standing still… and he could only hear his own and Malfoy's heavy breathing.

The soil under his body was wet and muddy, slowly soaking his cloak. If he didn't stand up he'd soon be wet to the skin. Carefully, Harry raised his head and looked around. Everything looked normal and he couldn't see the coin, or anything else out of the ordinary… what had just happened?

Harry's mind was one foggy mess of confusion. He sat up and looked down upon Malfoy, who was lying on the ground next to him. His flaxen hair was stained with mud, and he looked just as shocked as Harry felt. Their eyes met and Harry felt his cheeks redden involuntarily, as he remembered how the Slytherin had looked seconds before; burning eyes, parted lips, flushed cheeks… it felt liked he'd watched something he shouldn't have… it was actually a bit disgusting.

Malfoy sat up and tried desperately to flatten his wild locks, but to no avail. Harry knew it was an attempt to regain his composure and dignity – Draco was just as embarrassed and perplexed as Harry himself was.

"Er," Harry said eloquently. Malfoy stood up and Harry followed. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Draco snapped and looked down his own body, checking for injuries or other damages.

"What was in your hand? Some kind of coin, or?" Harry looked around, searching for the strange object.

"I don't bloody know! Let's just find that stupid flower instead, so we can get back! I really don't feel like playing any more games, or searching for anything except that bloody blossom! I'm frigging tired and my head is hurting, so would you just shut up about that coin?" Draco's cheeks were pink with embarrassment, and he looked angry and bewildered.

"Start looking then!" Harry shouted back. He was feeling dizzy and irritable - the sooner they found the flower, the better.

XXX

It had taken them another hour before Draco had found the flower. The trip back to the castle had been pure torture; Draco had acted like a complete arse, so they kept fighting until they handed in the flower to professor Sprout and finally parted. Harry felt so tired and exhausted, he could barely think straight.

He furrowed his brows; he still couldn't understand what had happened by the lake… but to be honest he was just too tired to really give it any concern. Right now, the only thing that mattered was his four-poster bed upstairs.

The Gryffindor common room was completely empty, and the dying fire was crackling peacefully, devouring the last pieces of wood slowly and quietly. Harry moved at a snail's pace up the stairs and tumbled into his dormitory. In the bed next to his was Ron, who was snoring loudly behind the curtains. Harry envied him.

He kicked off his trainers, pulled off his cloak and shirt, and unzipped his trousers. The clothes were lying in a messy pile on the floor, but Harry didn't care.

He yawned, removed the duvet, and crawled into bed.

His eyelids were so heavy he couldn't keep them open, and it didn't take long before he was fast asleep. The sheets weren't even warm before he joined Ron's snoring.

**A/N:** This took me like forever to write! Especially the summary :( and I don't know why *fail*. Again I want to thank my lovely betas, you guys helped me a lot :) And Julie, my own little guinea pig ;)

Hopefully, I upload next chapter soon…

Please review :)


	2. The circle

**Title: **A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

**Author: **clarex_ama

**Beta(s):** thegreatdane_s, nefariousandrea, bbyluv (I love you guys!)

**Pairing: **Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Warnings:** Slash, UST  
**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers etc. I own nothing. This fic is only written for fun, no profit is made.  
**Summary: **An unfortunate event leads Harry and Draco to discover a whole new level of perversity as it intrudes on their magic, making daydreaming, groping and dancing a strictly necessary part of their schoolday...Wtf?

A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

By clarex-ama

**Chapter 2**

_The circle_

A ray of sunshine slowly approached Harry's bed as the sun rose, but the black-haired wizard had no intentions of getting out of bed. He was still fast asleep, drooling all over his pillow. When the light hit him in the face, he growled annoyed and screwed up his eyes, trying to avoid the daylight by moving his face to the side, but to no avail. The boy squirmed around sleepily for a couple of minutes, but in the end he decided to get up. Slowly he opened his eyes, yawned, and reached for his glasses, which were placed on the nightstand next to his bed.

Harry looked around; the dorm was empty, the other boys had already gone down to get breakfast. Leisurely, he stood up and began looking for some clothes to wear.

Thank Merlin it was Sunday, Harry thought tiredly as he looked through his trunk for a clean shirt. He found one and pulled it over his head.

He looked at his watch; it was actually pretty late in the morning. Oh, well, he wasn't in a hurry, so it didn't matter.

Something tickled his hand, and he scratched it while wondering idly if there were pancakes for breakfast today.

He grabbed a pair of trousers and sat down upon the bed. His palm was tickling again so he scratched it once more and started hitching up his trousers.

Yesterday had been a weird day, Harry thought and buckled his belt. The detention had just been bizarre; so strange actually he wasn't even sure he hadn't been hallucinating… Maybe those flowers had somehow intoxicated his brain?

He found some clean socks and put them on with some difficulties, since they were inside out. Harry didn't notice right away.

His palm tickled again, so he scratched it violently in an attempt to make it stop, but it didn't. Harry sighed and inspected it closely, trying to find the reason why.

What? His green eyes widened, as he looked at his palm. Who had drawn a thin, silver circle in his hand while he slept? That was just absurd! What kind of joke was that?

Surprised, Harry studied the circle; it wasn't really all that clear, more a silver shadow than anything else, but it was definitely still there, and Harry didn't like it.

Determinately, he made his way to the bathroom, wanting to wash his hands, so he could get rid of the weird circle.

And so he did; he washed his hands, using lots of soap. As he dried them in the towel, Harry was astonished to realise that the circle was still there - it hadn't even faded at all.

To be honest, that did concern Harry just a bit, but he pretended to be cool and just washed his hands once more.

However, after Harry had washed his hands for the fourteenth time, he could feel that he was starting to panic just slightly. The fact that the odd circle was bloody tattooed to his hand made him a tad worried.

"Okay," Harry whispered soothingly to himself, as he rubbed his skin frantically with the towel, "no need to panic. It's probably just water-resistant or something. You'll just have to remove it by magic, yes, that's the plan." He dropped the towel and ran back into the dorm to find his wand, which was lying on the table next to his bed.

He pointed the tip of his wand at the circle and mumbled a spell, but nothing happened.

He tried to pronounce it more clearly, but it still didn't help, so he tried another spell, but that didn't work either, and just as he tried a fifth spell, a thought struck him: What if it wasn't someone's idea of a joke? What if it had something to do with…?

Harry gulped and blushed, oh no, he didn't like the thought of that. Didn't the… - he looked down at his hand, oh yes, the coin-thingy had had the same size. No, that had to be a fucking lie! That would be just- just horrible! As if it wasn't enough that he had had an orgasm-like encounter with his enemy, now he had to be reminded of it every time he used his right hand, which funnily enough was all the time!

Harry did not like where this was going!

What should he do? He sat down upon the bed once more, feeling despondent.

What should he tell people, if they asked him, why he had a circle in his palm? That he and Malfoy had shared something akin to a magic-orgasm because of a coin, and said coin had decided to leave a print in his palm?

Oh, no, he couldn't say that!

Maybe it was just an after-effect, Harry thought desperately in a vague attempt to cheer himself up. Maybe it would disappear after a few hours? He certainly hoped so.

What if it didn't? Then he and Malfoy were doomed to have matching tattoos! Oh, the pain - just the thought alone was horrifying.

But actually, he didn't know if Malfoy _did_ have a circle in his palm… Hmm… what if he didn't? Maybe he knew how to get it off, Harry pondered briefly. He would have to check that as soon as possible. But right now -he looked at his watch - he needed to go down to the Great Hall and eat breakfast. His friends were probably worried as to why he was already so late.

XXX

The Great Hall was almost empty, only here and there sat a couple of sleepy students who stuffed themselves with food they barely registered.

The pale September sun in the blue sky shone happily from the enchanted ceiling, and Harry supposed it was a good day for Quidditch practice, but he had more important things to think of at the moment.

He looked around and spotted Ron and Hermione who were sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table. They waved at him as he approached.

"Ello, Mate," Ron spluttered, mouth full of sausages. Hermione sighed and tried to look annoyed, but a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Ron would always be Ron.

"Good morning, Harry," she said cheerfully and lowered the book she had been reading, "How was your detention? I hope it wasn't too harsh."

"Oh, it was- it was fine," Harry muttered, blushing. He sat down next to Ron and helped himself to a piece of toast.

"Fine?" Hermione asked a bit disbelievingly. "Weren't you supposed to spend your detention with Malfoy?"

"Yeah, and I did. He was a git, but he always is." Harry took a bite of his toast and tried to change the topic, "So, Hermione, what are you reading?"

Hermione looked sceptical but answered anyway, "Oh, it's called: "100 Useful Spells That Start With X" by Xicolus Maison. It's actually quite good."

"Okay," Harry said not really listening, he was too occupied with trying to eat and hide his right hand beneath the table at the same time.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Ron asked, after he had swallowed the food. "You look a bit tense."

"Oh, I'm fine," Harry said casually, sitting on his right hand while trying to butter a piece of bread with his left.

"Harry, are you hiding something?" Hermione asked, brown eyes shining warmly with concern.

"Hiding something? Like what?" Harry laughed a bit nervously.

"Like your hand," the bushy-haired girl said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh that? What makes you believe that I'm…" he trailed off at the look Hermione sent him. "See," he showed her his left hand, "There's nothing wrong, you're just being silly, Hermione. So, spells that starts with Z, you say, interesting."

"X, Harry, and you're avoiding the topic. Show me your other hand."

Harry briefly waved the hand in question in front of her face, and then tried to hide it again, but in his hurry, he accidentally knocked over a glass of milk. Flustered because of the mess, he ended up sticking his hand down into a bowl of scrambled eggs - a desperate attempt at hiding it from view. "See, nothing's wrong. So, Ron, are the sausages tasty?"

Ron had no time to answer that question, because Hermione cut him off, "Harry what's wrong? Why are you acting so strangely? Show me that hand!" She grabbed Harry's right wrist and pulled his hand out of the scrambled eggs.

Harry's heart was hammering hard against his chest as he prepared himself mentally for the embarrassing explanation that was bound to come.

"Harry, what has happened?"

Harry swallowed; he might as well just take the plunge.

"You see, em, yesterday I was out in the Forbidden Forest, smelling flowers and –"

"Why is your hand all red, Harry?" interrupted Ron, staring at Harry's palm.

"Red? Don't you want to know about that mark-thingy…?"

"What mark?" asked Hermione, "All I see is that your hand is red and slightly swollen. What have you done?"

"What there's no…?" He pulled back his hand and stared at it, hoping that the circle had disappeared, but no, it was still there. Harry sighed annoyed and looked up at his friends again.

"It's still there," he said grudgingly.

"What's still there, Harry?"

"The stupid circle!"

"What stupid circle?" asked Ron, looking at Hermione for answers, but she looked just as confused as the redhead himself.

"The bloody mark in my hand," growled Harry through gritted teeth.

"What mark, Harry? There's no mark…"

"Wait," said Harry, looking at his palm, then at his friends. He began feeling confused himself, "so that means you can't see it?"

"See what? What I can see," said the girl, "is that your hand is red, and I want to know if you're hurt."

"Em, no," murmured the raven-haired boy confused, "the hand is just red because I've washed it too many times this morning. But- but you can't see anything else? No circle, no mark?"

"Harry, are you sure, you're all right? Maybe you should go and see Madam Pomfrey?"

"No, I'm just- just tired, I guess… You're sure, you can't see anything else?" Hermione and Ron both looked bewildered as they nodded in unison.

"Harry, mate, what are you talking about?" asked Ron worriedly, sharing a "Harry-has-gone-mental-don't-you-think"-look with Hermione.

"Oh, nothing, it was probably just something, I've dreamed. But I think I'll go and ask Madam Pomfrey anyway, just to be sure." He smiled at them and rose to his feet. He needed to get away, so he could think. This was just too weird, why couldn't they see the circle? Was he the only one who could see it?

Harry walked out of the Great Hall, leaving a very confused Ron and Hermione behind.

XXX

Okay, Harry thought as he walked down the corridor, Ron and Hermione couldn't see the circle, but it was definitely still there. What did that mean?

Even though Harry didn't want to, he knew he had to find Draco Malfoy and talk to him. He had to get to the bottom of this stupid mystery, and to do that he needed the Slytherin. After all, he had been the one to find and grab that bloody coin to begin with.

He had looked all over the castle, but couldn't find the brainless blond anywhere, and he really didn't feel like asking people where he was because then he would have to make up an explanation, and Harry didn't feel all that creative at the moment.

He rounded a corner and headed for the library; maybe the boy was studying…

Harry walked through the big oak doors that were the entrance to the library, and entered the familiar room with all the books.

Everywhere, high bookshelves were hovering above him, stuffed with heavy and old tomes. The books upon the highest shelves almost looked grey because of the thick carpet of dust that was covering them.

Harry walked down the passageway, looking for Malfoy, passing students that were carrying stacks of books and papers.

There, in the corner of the library, stood Malfoy alone, bending down, looking for a book upon the lowest shelf. His grey eyes were roaming the spines of the books, searching for whatever he was looking for.

Harry walked up behind him. "Malfoy," he said through gritted teeth. Draco started and spun around, looking at Harry with a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"Potter," he stated with resentment.

"We need to talk," Harry muttered angrily.

Draco sighed dramatically and crossed his arms, "Why?"

"Because," Harry spat, "we do."

"Then talk," snapped the blond irritated.

"Show me your wand-hand!"

"No, I won't!" squealed the Slytherin and hid his hand behind his back. "Why do you want to see my hand?"

"You know why," Harry bit back, "I don't know what's going on, but I know it's you and that coin-thingy's fault, so you have some explanations to do!"

"No, I don't, and I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Show me your hand, now," hissed Harry threateningly, "or I'll hex you." Harry had pointed the tip of his wand at Draco's chest before Draco could even think about pulling out his own one.

The blond boy narrowed his eyes to slits and glared hard at the Gryffindor, but Harry didn't care. Grudgingly, he showed Harry his pale hand, and a delicate, silver circle was decorating his palm, just as Harry thought.

"So you have one too," said Harry, feeling a mixture of disappointment and happiness. He was glad that he wasn't the only one, but it also meant that Draco didn't know how to get rid of it.

"Have a what?" snapped the Slytherin and pulled his hand back, hiding it from view.

"A circle."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I have no circle."

"Yes, you do. I just saw it!" shouted Harry angrily. He had had enough of Malfoy's stupid evasion.

"You're crazy, Potter," he spat heatedly. "Leave me alo-"

But Malfoy was cut off by a strident voice, "Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, keep quiet! This is a library! If you don't stop fighting immediately, I'll have to request that you both get a detention!"

Madam Pince stood behind them, looking like the underfed vulture she was.

"It's all right, Madam," said Draco, "Potter here was leaving. Actually, I was wondering if you could help me find this book, I can't seem to find it anywhere."

Madam Pince looked at Harry and snarled, "If you're done, then leave. This library is only for people who are looking for books."

Harry clenched his fists, turned around, and walked out the door. Anger was boiling inside him, running through his blood - he hated Malfoy and his stupid lies!

**A/N: **Please don't hate me! I know it has been ages since my last upload, but I've been ill… I feel better now, and therefore I post the next chapter :)

This chap. is dedicated to the wonderful Jollyhime, who's an amazing person and artist! Happy Birthday, pumpkin!

Btw, reviews are highly appreciated :3 I would love to hear what you think of the story so far…

Oh, and before I forget: Happy Christmas/Holidays and happy New Year!


	3. Magic that flows like syrup

**Title: **A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

**Author: **clarex_ama

**Beta(s):** thegreatdane_s, nefariousandrea, bbyluv (I love you guys!)

**Pairing: **Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Warnings:** Slash, UST  
**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers etc. I own nothing. This fic is only written for fun, no profit is made.  
**Summary: **An unfortunate event leads Harry and Draco to discover a whole new level of perversity as it intrudes on their magic, making daydreaming, groping and dancing a strictly necessary part of their schoolday...Wtf?

A Circle of Unfortunate Events

By clarex-ama

**Chapter 3**

_Magic that flows like syrup_

When teachers say something, they usually want you to listen, but Harry wasn't paying any attention. He had had a hard time concentrating all day and the squeaking voice of Professor Flitwick was funnily enough not catching his interest at all.

No, Harry was doing something much more productive than learning; he was drawing random patterns on the surface of his desk with his index finger. Little drops of ink had fallen from the tip of his quill down upon the wooden table, and now he was smearing the black ink all over the place with his fingers, drawing little things like flowers, moons, stars, and circles…

Harry looked at his palm – stupid circle! Why it was there, he had no idea, and to be honest Harry was getting worried that maybe Malfoy hadn't been lying.

Harry sighed and placed his palm flat upon the table, he didn't feel like thinking about it.

The wind outside was making the old windows rattle and grey clouds were floating around in the sky, moving closer together. It was probably going to rain soon, Harry thought, and only seconds after he'd thought that, big, drowsy drops of water were slamming against the roof, sliding down the windowpane.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed and elbowed him in his ribs.

"Ouch!" He looked at her while rubbing his sore side, "Why did you do that?"

Hermione made a movement with her head, gesturing to him that he should look in the direction of the blackboard.

On the tall stack of books stood the tiny professor, looking at Harry, obviously waiting for him to do or say something.

"Em…" Harry could feel his cheeks redden involuntarily, "could you please repeat the question, sir?"

"Sure," the professor squeaked happily, "I was just asking you to demonstrate the spell we've been learning about for the last twenty minutes."

"Oh, em, right." Feeling rather lost, Harry looked at Hermione for help. She was frantically muttering the name of some spell, but Harry couldn't hear exactly what she was saying. It sounded like _Em-pimenta _or_ Impimenta _or, or… _Impedimenta_! That must be it; Harry did think he'd heard it before. But what was his target? Harry looked around, spotting a yellow bird flying around the classroom. That was probably it.

He cleared his throat, pointed his wand at the flying bird and said the spell.

But somehow it felt strange as his magic ran through his arm and out of the tip of his wand. It wasn't the strong rush he was used to. The magic felt slow, almost as if it were thick and tired, only succeeding in getting out of his wand by luck.

"Acceptable, Mr. Potter, but try to pay a bit more attention next time," said the professor and went back to writing something on the blackboard. Harry stared at his wand; he'd never felt like that before. Why was his magic suddenly feeling so weak? He had managed to slow the bird down, like he was supposed to do, so there was nothing wrong with his spell… but it had been such a weird feeling using his wand, almost as if the magic had difficulties running out of him…

Harry shook his head - he was probably just imaging it…

XXX

Harry was sitting in the common room along with Ron and Hermione - The last class had ended, and they were relaxing before going down to dinner.

Ron was lying on the couch, idly poking Harry's knee with a quill. Harry himself was sitting in an armchair, legs dangling from the armrest, not really caring about Ron and his poking. Hermione on the other hand was the only one doing something productive, she was sitting next to Ron on the sofa, nose buried in another book, taking notes and scribbling down other important facts she found useful.

"Instead of just lying there, you two should start studying," she said, taking a moment to look up from the pages, "we have so much homework to do."

"But 'Mione it's so boooring," the redhead whined, and gave Harry's knee a firm poke as to prove his point.

"And poking Harry's knee with a quill is not?" the bushy-haired girl asked, raising an eyebrow at the two boys.

"Okay, okay, we'll start studying," said Harry, ignoring Ron's groan of pain as he gave in to the book-loving girl.

"B-but, Harry!" whinged his freckled friend, "it's homework!"

"I know, Ron, but she's right, we'll have to do it sooner or later," sighed Harry and took his wand from his pocket, "Now, where's my Potions book?"

"It's on the table," Hermione said, not even looking up this time, "You left it there along with your Charms books."

Harry's eyes darted to the table in the other end of the room, and indeed his books were lying there in a messy pile.

"Thanks, 'Mione," he said and pointed his wand at his books, feeling too lazy to stand up and walk over to fetch them. "Accio books."

And there it was again, this weird feeling of his magic being restrained, like syrup slowly running through his veins. The books on the table didn't fly through the room and into his arms, they only flapped around on the table for a brief moment and then they stopped moving.

Harry couldn't believe his own eyes, ever since his fourth year he'd never had any problems with the summoning-charm, so why was he having trouble now?

Was there a reason for his having so much trouble with his magic today? Was it possible for your magic to get weaker just like that?

Harry felt his heart hammer against his chest, and his palms were sweaty and warm – he was starting to feel slightly dubious – what if it really did have something to do with the circle in his palm?

Okay, concentration was the keyword, Harry mentally reminded himself. Maybe it was just because he wasn't concentrated.

Harry stared at the books so hard his eyes were almost squeezed shut. "Accio books!", he yelled, and this time the books did fly across the room but instead of landing in his arms, they flew directly into the back of Hermione's head, hitting her with a loud thud - the force of the attack so fierce she almost fell from the couch.

"Ouch!" she cried out loud and hugged her head, face contorted in pain.

"What are you doing?" asked Ron heatedly, "Just because she said we should do homework doesn't mean you can just hit her in the face with books!" He moved closer to Hermione, inspecting the back of her head, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," responded the girl, releasing her head.

"I'm so sorry," said Harry, feeling awful about the whole accident and his poor magic skills, "It wasn't on purpose."

Hermione looked at him, puzzled, "It's all right, Harry, but I don't understand why your books ended up hitting me in the back of my head. What did you do wrong?"

"I-I don't know," said Harry, starring at the wand in his hand. His palm was tingling slightly, feeling warmer than the other. "I think I need some air," he said all of a sudden and walked quickly out of the room. Before exiting he looked back over his shoulder, "I'm really sorry, Hermione, see you both at dinner," and then he left, a thing he'd been doing quite a lot lately...

XXX

Harry looked out the window as he walked down the corridor; it was raining heavily now, water was pouring down from the sky, hitting the glass with a hammering sound.

Harry sighed and looked at his palm. What was wrong with him? Why was this stupid circle decorating his hand in such an annoying manner? Harry prodded it hard with his finger. Why didn't it come off? And for the love of Merlin why had he been acting like a retarded idiot ever since that stupid incident? Something was seriously not as it should be.

He reached the big oak front doors, pushed them open and walked out into the rain. He didn't care if it was raining; he needed fresh air to cool his brain.

Harry sighed and let the clear and cold water soak his body. His hair was already clinging to his forehead, and his glasses were dotted with raindrops.

Automatically, he headed in the direction of the nearest and biggest tree by the lake, but he hadn't taken more than a few steps towards his planned emo-spot before he realised that it was already taken. None other than Draco Malfoy stood under the tree, looking pensive and gloomy.

Harry stopped in his tracks, not wanting to shorten the distance between them; Malfoy was probably the last person Harry wanted to see at the moment.

This was so bloody typical! Harry gritted his teeth. Stupid Malfoy, standing where Harry had planned to stand…

Malfoy didn't seem like he'd noticed Harry yet. He was standing quietly, back leaning on the tree trunk, just letting the rain soak his clothes like he didn't care. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and he was frowning like he was in deep thought.

The red leaves on the branches and on the ground stood in sharp contrast to his fair skin and hair, and the pale sun was setting, partly hiding itself from view behind the hills and clouds, only adding atmosphere to the scenery.

Harry felt a new flare of annoyance burn his insides. Why was Malfoy standing on his spot, looking like he was posing for some god damned magazine?

Malfoy turned his head and looked in Harry's direction. As he noticed Harry, his eyes narrowed to dark slits in his face, clearly showing his distaste for Harry's presence. Harry glared right back.

Harry was glad that there was a distance between them because that meant he couldn't hear the other boy unless he shouted.

So there they stood, glaring silently at each other in the pouring rain…

"Harry, Harry, there you are! I've been looking for you, you left so suddenly. Dinner is already served in the Great Hall… are you feeling okay?"

Harry turned around and saw Hermione running towards him, jumping from side to side, avoiding big pools of water, trying to prevent her feet from getting too wet. She had a cloak lifted up over her head, keeping her hair dry.

"Let's get inside, you might catch a cold, and besides if we don't hurry Ron might eat all the chicken on the Gryffindor table." She smiled at the thought and put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on."

Harry nodded and threw one last glance over his shoulder. Malfoy wasn't looking at them any more; he pretended to be more interested in the bark on the tree…

"Malfoy?" Hermione said disbelievingly, "What is he doing out here in this awful weather?"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Harry said a bit harshly, "Let's go inside."

Hermione looked contemplatively at Harry but said nothing. She nodded and followed him towards the castle.

XXX

After the dinner Harry felt tired. He hadn't really felt like eating and Hermione's constant pondering stare hadn't helped his appetite at all.

Harry looked into the fire. He could feel the warmth from the flames on his legs, which were stretched out in front of him, closer to the fireplace than the rest of his body.

He was sitting in an armchair in the common room. A book lay open in his lap, but he couldn't find the will to carry on with the reading.

Ron was lying on the floor next to him, eating chocolate frogs while copying an essay Hermione had written. His parchment was stained with chocolate fingerprints but that didn't seem to bother the redhead the slightest.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow your essay, 'Mione," he chirped happily, "If you ever feel like copying any of my essays you're more than welcome."

"But you always copy my essays, Ron, so that would be the same as copying myself." She laughed and slapped his head with a Witch Weekly magazine.

"Do not!" Ron grinned and jumped up upon the couch to attack her, tickling her fiercely, making her scream loudly.

"Ron, Ron, stop it, stop it!" she laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks, "you win, you win."

Ron beamed and went back to the floor and his essay. He handed Hermione a chocolate frog before going back to writing, as a silent apology for the ferocious tickling attack.

Hermione accepted it, still chuckling a little.

Harry didn't pay them any attention; he was far too occupied with thinking about his own strange behaviour and the stupid circle in his palm.

He sighed loudly.

Hermione looked at him with a frown upon her face. She gave him that look she always did when she was concerned and pensive at the same time.

"Em, Harry, are you sure you're all right? You've been a bit strange here the last couple of days."

"No, I'm fine, Hermione, it's nothing." He smiled at her and pretended to go back to reading. He just hadn't noticed that he was holding the book upside down. Hermione sighed, took the book out of his hands and placed it on the small coffee table next to the sofa.

"No, you're not, Harry. Yesterday you rambled about a circle in your palm only you can see, today you've been very absentminded, you've been having troubles with your magic, you have no appetite, and you run around outside in the rain because you need to think… Ever since the detention with Malfoy you've been acting oddly, what is wrong?"

Ron stopped writing and looked at Harry. "She's right, you know, mate."

"No, it's nothing, don't worry. Seriously."

Both Hermione and Ron gave him a look that said they wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Harry, stop being silly and tell us what's bothering you," Hermione said in a way that sounded a lot like Mrs. Weasley.

"Yeah, Harry, we're your friends, you can tell us everything," Ron added sincerely.

Harry swallowed and smiled weakly. "No, really, there's nothing –"

"Harry," interrupted Hermione firmly.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Harry said annoyed, knowing there was nothing he could do. He looked at his hands. Well, he guessed the details really weren't all that important, as long as they got the big picture, right?

"Okay," Harry started, "you're right that it has something to do with the detention. Malfoy and I had to find this stupid flower in the Forbidden Forest, and we couldn't find it anywhere, and Malfoy was being a total jerk and, and," Harry blushed. He really hoped it wasn't noticeable in the dim lightning. "Then something weird happened. Malfoy found this coin-thingy and he was being real strange, and then, em, then he kind of showed it to me, and it was all… em, yeah and then he, well, I guess you could say he gave it to me, and then it disappeared and then we found the flower and went back. And…"

He looked up at Ron and Hermione. They both looked confused but said nothing.

"Well, the next morning I discovered I had this circle in my palm with the same size as the outline of the coin. The weird thing is that apparently I'm the only one who can see it's there… I mean, you guys couldn't see it right?" Both Hermione and Ron shook their heads. "Then I confronted Malfoy since it's entirely his fault, and I saw that he had a circle in his palm too, but he denied it was there, and now I'm all confused…"

Harry looked at Hermione who was looking very thoughtful.

"Do you think Malfoy is lying?" she asked.

"I don't really know. I mean at first I was sure of it, but now I'm not so sure anymore. What if he's not?"

"He might have hexed you," added Ron. "Maybe he wants you to believe you're loosing your mind or something."

"Show me your hand, Harry," said Hermione after a little while. Harry did as told. "And you're sure there's a circle there? Because I can't see any." She looked carefully at his hand.

"Yes, it's there," Harry said and pulled back his hand.

"And Malfoy had one too as far as you could see?"

"Yes. But maybe it's just me who's being tired lately. I mean, I bet it's nothing, it's not like we have any evidence that I've been hexed or anything."

"Maybe you're just worried about the upcoming match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. After all it is the first Quidditch match here at Hogwarts since the war," said Ron and Harry nodded.

"Yeah maybe that's it. Once the Quidditch match is over everything will probably go back to normal." Harry really hoped that was the case, because he didn't like the thought of being hexed, he'd had enough of that already.

"Hmm… maybe, but I doubt it," Hermione said, looking at Harry, "I don't think Malfoy is telling the truth. I studied him during dinner because I suspected he might have something to do with your strange behaviour, and he almost didn't eat anything, just like you. And when you were outside in the rain, needing the fresh air to think clearly, Malfoy was there too. How many people go outside in that weather to think, if there's nothing wrong?" She looked at Harry with her thoughtful, brown eyes.

"Hermione you're overanalysing things. It's just a coincidence," Harry insisted. Hermione shrugged but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't reject her theory that easily.

"Yeah, Harry is right. Malfoy is a bastard and I wouldn't be surprised if he'd hexed Harry somehow, but at the same time I think you might just be nervous because of the Quidditch match, which is why you're acting strangely. I mean, I'm nervous myself."

Even though Harry really wanted to believe Ron, he couldn't help but think things probably were a bit more complicated than that. Harry picked up the book from the table and opened it on a random page. He didn't want Hermione and Ron to worry about something he wasn't yet sure about himself.

"Let's wait and see. As I said before, I bet it's nothing," Harry smiled at them, "Now, I better finish reading this book. I don't want another detention because I didn't finish it on time."

Hermione kept looking dubious and thoughtful, and Harry was sure she would start searching the library for knowledge about circles in palms first thing tomorrow. He sighed.

"I'm tired. I think I'll read the book in my bed. Goodnight." Harry got to his feet and walked up the stairs, not looking back over his shoulder. He could feel their gazes follow him all the way to the dormitory.

Harry knew they did it because they cared, but he just needed some peace to think for himself.

He sat down upon the bed and removed his shoes. He actually really was tired.

He laid back, eyes staring into the canopy.

Why did his life always have to be so complicated?

**A/N: **I know, I know - it's been ages, and I'm truly sorry! I guess I'll just have to accept that I don't have the time to write as often as I want to, I'm way too busy with school and musical (I'm appearing in a musical and the première is approaching). Please don't hate me! Even though I'm slowly, I won't abandon this story so I hope you guys won't either...


	4. Dreams and confusion

**Title: **A Circle Of Unfortunate Events

**Author: **clarex_ama

**Beta(s):** thegreatdane_s, nefariousandrea, bbyluv (I love you guys!)

**Pairing: **Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Warnings:** Slash, UST  
**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers etc. I own nothing. This fic is only written for fun, no profit is made.  
**Summary: **An unfortunate event leads Harry and Draco to discover a whole new level of perversity as it intrudes on their magic, making daydreaming, groping and dancing a strictly necessary part of their schoolday...Wtf?

A Circle of Unfortunate Events

By clarex-ama

**Chapter 4**

**_Dreams and confusion_**

_Harry was walking down the corridor, the sound of his feet echoing in the silent night. Outside the full moon shone brightly, the pale dreamlike rays illuminating the floor beneath the tall windows. The corridor was abnormally long; it felt like he__'__d been walking forever. _

_Harry sighed and he suddenly found himself in front of the doors to the Room of Requirement. Slowly, almost as if his hand weighed more than normally, he reached for the doorknob and entered. What met him was a bright light, hitting him directly in the face, blinding his eyes completely. _

_The light disappeared and Harry saw that Malfoy was standing in front of him, wand in hand. _

"_Potter,__"__ the boy said, then, he turned around and sat down on a sofa that was in front of a fire place._

"_Come on, sit down,__"__ Malfoy insisted, rolling his eyes at Harry, and strangely enough Harry felt his body obey the order. _

_Malfoy was still holding his wand between his long, pale fingers, toying with it absentmindedly. Harry suddenly felt the urge to look for his own wand, and automatically his hand reached for his pocket but he found nothing there. Horrified, he felt his fingers brush, not against the fabric of his jeans, but his own skin --- he was naked!"_

_Malfoy looked at Harry for a long time, then he tilted his head to the side and winked._

Harry woke up with a shocked gasp, feeling confused and bewildered. He was lying on top of his sheets, still wearing his clothes (thank God! ). Apparently, he'd fallen asleep after he'd gone upstairs to avoid talking about the circle incident with Ron and Hermione.

Harry removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. What a weird and disturbing dream… Had Malfoy actually winked at him? …Creepy…

He looked at his watch – still some time left before he had to get up. The room was still dark, shadows darkening his sleeping friends' faces.

Harry sighed and lay back down – he felt so tired, almost as if he hadn't slept at all…

That's what you get from dreaming about Malfoy, Harry thought grumpily.

Harry closed his eyes, wanting to go back to sleep, but somehow he couldn't. He squirmed around for a couple of minutes, trying desperately to find the right position to lie in, but it didn't work.

He opened his eyes and stared up into the canopy, trying to think about something boring that would make him fall asleep, but it still didn't help.

"Argh," Harry mumbled annoyed.

Maybe it was because he was wearing too much clothes? It was kind of warm in here…

Harry sat up and started opening the buttons of his shirt. He slid it down his shoulders and dropped it to the floor.

He sank back down into his soft pillows, hoping that now he would be able to sleep.

"Bloody hell," Harry mumbled irritated half an hour later. He still couldn't sleep.

Even though he had removed his shirt, he still felt warm. He opened his trousers and started to slide them down his hips. He was still lying down, so the action caused him to wriggle around in his sheets. As his fingers brushed his hips, Harry couldn't help but think about the dream – he couldn't believe he had dreamt that Malfoy had winked at him! And not only that, Harry had been naked!

Harry shook his head – thinking about Malfoy while he took his clothes off, was kind of disturbing. And it surely wouldn't help him go back to sleep…

Half an hour before he was supposed to get up, Harry finally fell asleep…

"Harry, Harry, get up, you're going to be late!"

"Eh, w-whut?" Harry cracked his eyes open, staring into the round face of Neville.

"You are going to be late."

Harry yawned and reached for his glasses, but he only got midway before his head hit the pillow once more – he was so tired!

"Harry!" Neville insisted firmly and pulled off Harry's blanket.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Harry mumbled and sat up. It felt like it was only minutes ago he'd fell asleep…

He rose from the bed and began preparing himself for another school day, not really registering what he was doing at all; he was way too tired.

Harry shook his head and made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, but it came out sounding rather gurgling, since his mouth was full of toothpaste.

He finished brushing his teeth and followed Ron and Dean down to get some breakfast.

XXX

Harry was still tired as he walked to his first class with Ron and Hermione. Getting up early in the morning sure was evil… He was sure he looked like a zombie, walking down the corridor not caring where he put his feet. Ron looked tired too, but he had always been a bad morning-person.

First class today was Transfigurations. Harry sighed because he just knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate. Great.

The weather was still awful, rain was pouring down just as intensely as yesterday. If the weather didn't change soon, the Quidditch match this upcoming weekend wouldn't be all that pleasant.

Harry was amazed by his on luck these days.

They turned a corner and walked past some Slytherins who were waiting for their first class. Harry quickly spotted Malfoy, who was standing next to Pansy. He looked tired and moody, arms crossed in front of his chest.

When he saw Harry he scrunched up his nose as if Harry was really smelly, making the whole corridor stink. Harry growled irritated as he walked over to his own classroom.

Stupid, bloody Malfoy! Harry clenched his fists.

He noted that his right palm felt a bit warmer than the other as he clenched them, fingers digging into his skin… it was probably due to that circle, he mused.

To tell the truth, he actually didn't mind Hermione looking for books that might help his situation. Even though it wasn't because anything major had happened, it was still annoying to know that a circle was on his hand and that nobody else could see it. The fact that it reminded him of that incident by the lake didn't help the slightest either… Harry could still remember clearly how Malfoy had looked when they touched each other… and the most horrifying part was that it had actually felt kind of nice…

Harry blushed and shuddered in disgust.

If this was some retarded joke made up by Malfoy, then Harry wouldn't be afraid to be the first one to kick his arse all the way to Japan.

But then again, why would Draco want to curse him like that? And he had seemed genuinely confused about the whole thing afterwards.

Harry felt rather confused himself.

XXX

"Harry, try to concentrate, you are really absent-minded today," Hermione lectured him in a whisper. She was sitting next to him, copying the notes from the blackboard.

"What?" Harry whispered back, not paying any attention at all. He had been dozing off.

"Is it because of that circle?" Hermione said quietly, looking worried. "I'll check the library later this afternoon."

"Oh, no, it's not that. I'm just tired, I couldn't fall asleep," Harry assured her.

She nodded. "Okay, but I'm going to check anyway. You have to tell me some more details after class, so I know what to look for."

Harry gulped. "Erm okay."

Hermione smiled then turned to look at Ron.

"Ron, why are you copying my notes? Why don't you just look at the blackboard?"

"They're on the blackboard?" Ron lifted his head to stare at the front of the class. "Oh, they are. I didn't notice that."

"Oh, pay attention will you!" Hermione mumbled annoyed and dipped her quill in the ink. "You two are hopeless."

XXX

Eating lunch was better than dozing off in class, Harry decided and took a drink of pumpkin juice. Ron, who was sitting next to him, was chatting animatedly with Dean about how the Chudley Canons would surely make a comeback this autumn.

Hermione was sitting opposite Harry.

"Harry," she said, "You have to tell me what the ´coin-thingy´ looked like, it might be important when searching for information." She put down her fork and knife and stared intently at Harry.

If Harry wasn't mistaken she was actually a bit excited. Her warm eyes were looking at him with concern, but they also sparkled with something more… Harry suppressed a smile. She was probably excited because she now had a new topic she could research and find knowledge about.

"Erm, well, I don't really remember. It was a rather big coin, around this size," Harry put his thumb and index finger together, forming a circle. "And em, it was silver…"

"Was it decorated or engraved?"

"I-I don't really know."

Hermione sighed. "Merlin, Harry, didn't you say that Malfoy gave you the coin? Didn't you look at it then?"

Harry blushed. The truth was that he had been far too occupied with staring at Malfoy, but he couldn't really say that. "I can't remember, okay! It was kind of dreamlike, so I didn't pay attention… Malfoy probably knows more since he's the one who picked it up…"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Okay, then we'll just have to ask Malfoy."

"What?" Harry nearly choked in his pumpkin juice. "We can't do that. That bloody git won't tell a thing, I tried already, remember?"

Harry looked over at Malfoy, who looked even more grumpy than usual. He was poking his food with a fork like it didn't have his slightest interest.

"But Harry, if we don't know what it looks like, then it's going to be difficult finding information"

"Just forget it, Hermione." Harry said. "I bet it's nothing. I haven't really been all that troubled by it today, so maybe it's ebbing out…"

"Oh, stop talking nonsense, Harry. You were awful in Transfiguration!"

"Well, that was because I was tired and Transfiguration is a very hard subject…"

"Okay okay, I'll just see what I can do with the information we've got." She took one last bite of her food. "I need to pick up a book before going to class, see you later, Harry." She stood up. "Oh, and Harry? You haven't buttoned up your shirt correctly. I've wanted to tell you that for a while…" She smiled and left.

Harry watched her walk out of the Great Hall.

How typical, he thought and started redoing his buttons, trying to do it correctly this time. Luckily, It wasn't all of them, only the top five…

Harry looked up and saw that Malfoy was staring at him, eyes following the movements of his fingers.

Malfoy noticed that Harry had caught him staring, but he didn't look away. He was glaring at Harry as if the Gryffindor had ruined his entire day, his silver eyes were only slits in his pale face. Harry glared right back at him, picking up his sandwich to take another bite… He hadn't really been all that hungry, but staring at Malfoy's face made him want to eat his sandwich in an angry manner.

Malfoy didn't turn his gaze away, when he picked up his own sandwich and took a bite. Harry noted how his jaw-muscles moved as he chewed his food.

The Slytherin took smaller bites than he did himself, Harry thought, as Malfoy took another bite into his mouth. Harry did the same, only his one was larger.

They continued their little staring contest until Harry had finished his sandwich. Somehow it felt stupid to continue when he was done eating. Harry sent one last glare in Malfoy's direction, before standing up. The blond looked away too.

He actually felt a little less tired now. Maybe eating some food had helped.

"Ron, are you done eating?" Harry asked. But Ron was still eating – his plate full of food. That boy had a huge appetite. Harry grinned.

"I'm done," said Dean and stood up.

"Ey, waid pfor mhe," Ron swallowed. "I'm nearly done."

"Yeah, right, look at your plate," grinned Dean.

"It's almost empty!"

Harry watched as Ron stuffed his face with all the food he could have in his mouth.

"Fee," the redhead managed to spit out with his mouth full of food.

Dean laughed. "God, Ron, sometimes you are revolting. I can't believe we're friends with you!"

"Yeah, sometimes I think the same," Harry teased.

**A/N: **Erm… remember me? I know you all hate me by now… I'm so terribly sorry, but life has kept me busy.

I disappear for ages and then I give you this? –dies- such a crappy and boring chapter! I promise it'll get more interesting in the next chapter! And there'll be more Harry/Draco moments!

Okay, now to something completely different – I forgot one of my betas email ///// If you are reading this, bbyluv, and you still want to be my beta – please email me!

Every time I promise that the next chapter will come sooner, I end up screwing up everything – so this time I won't promise anything, maybe that'll actually make me upload sooner for a change…


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